Veterans remember fallen at Bear Arms of Texas’ 2nd Annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run

By Meagan Ellsworth

Updated
8:37 pm CDT, Saturday, May 26, 2018

Veterans and community members take part in a formation run during the annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run in celebration of Memorial Day at Unity Park on Saturday, May 26, 2018, in Magnolia.

Veterans and community members take part in a formation run during the annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run in celebration of Memorial Day at Unity Park on Saturday, May 26, 2018, in Magnolia.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

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Veterans and community members take part in a formation run during the annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run in celebration of Memorial Day at Unity Park on Saturday, May 26, 2018, in Magnolia.

Veterans and community members take part in a formation run during the annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run in celebration of Memorial Day at Unity Park on Saturday, May 26, 2018, in Magnolia.

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Veterans remember fallen at Bear Arms of Texas’ 2nd Annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run

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An American flag waved through Unity Park in Magnolia Saturday morning carried by a group of veterans in a military formation run.

As the veterans finished the run and caught their breath, children ran through the park squirting water guns and laughing during the Bear Arms of Texas’ 2nd Annual Magnolia Silkies Day and Fun Run, benefiting Veterans 3 Gun and Green Zone Housing on the sunny Memorial Day weekend.

“It means paying homage to the ones who paved the way for me,” said participant U.S. Marine Corps veteran Kelly Vela-Howard, 49, of Magnolia whose son is now serving in the same branch. “It brings you back to the place where it all started from. … It doesn’t matter which branch you’re in — it’s all about brotherhood and sisterhood.”

Bear Arms of Texas owner and U.S. Marine Veteran Jason Clarke shared a message with approximately 200 participants gathered at the park, with at least 400 anticipated for the entirety of the event, that also included a kids run, bounce house, dodge ball, a live and silent auctions, and vendor booths for the entire community to support veterans.

“This is Memorial Day weekend, for most of the veterans here every day is Memorial Day,” said Clarke who encourages people to continue to make an effort to support veterans past the day of remembrance. “This is for us all to get out and get the comradery back that we once had, to enjoy each others’ company, and have fun for those who can’t be here.”

Last year, the event raised $10,000 for the two organizations that are on a mission to fight veteran suicide through positive activity, raising public awareness, and addressing homelessness by transforming shipping containers into homes for graduates of programs like Camp Hope that assists veterans and families suffering from combat related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

U.S. Marine Veteran and Magnolia West teacher Jim Massey with Bear Arms of Texas reminds the community that Memorial Day, which is often confused with Veteran’s Day, is not about those who are here, but the ones who did not make it back.

“A lot of the guys we have here, a significant number are combat vets and they have lost a lot of their friends in combat overseas,” Massey said. “It doesn’t matter if we are talking about our Vietnam guys or if we are talking about our most recent batch — if you lose one, it is too many, and if you lose significant numbers out of a single unit -- it is going to have a significant impact on the guys that are still there.

“Those are the ones that are most likely are going to have (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder),” he added. “Those are the ones saying why am I here? Why did I make it back? And there is a lot of guilt associated with that as well, so with events like this we get all the vets that we possibly can together …”

Andrew Jett, 39, who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, including with special operations and in several countries like in Iraq and Afghanistan, was in a united that suffered some loss. He now owns Twisted Metal Fabrication and came out to the event to join and support his fellow veterans as well as their businesses and organizations such as Lone Pint Beer, Grill Your Ass Off, Patriots of Texas, and the recently named Texas Country Vocal Singer of the Year by the Music Association of Central Texas, Nick Sterling.

“A lot of people think that Memorial Day and Memorial weekend is about barbecuing, swimming and going to the river and going tubing — it’s not,” Jett said. “Memorial Day is about celebrating the ones who did not come home and being with the ones who did come home — for us to be able to spend time together, laugh and have fun and get out of the house.

For more information, visit beararmstx.com, veterans3gun.org, or search for Green Zone Housing on Facebook.